ICT base

• Python


  A popular programming language created by Guido van Rossum and released in 1991
• Python


  • Text-based programming language with simple syntax
  • Works on different platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry Pi, etc)
  • Can be treated in a procedural, object-oriented or functional way
  • Indentation is important and used to indicate a block of code
• Variables


  Containers for storing data values
• Global variables


  Variables created outside of a function
• Casting


  Specifying the data type of a variable
• Python data types


  • int
  • float
  • complex
  • string
  • boolean

  
• String data


  Can include any keyword characters, shown inside quote marks
• User input


  Stored as a string
• Concatenation


  Combining two strings using the + operator
• Integer (int)


  Whole number, positive or negative, without decimals, of unlimited length
• Float


  Number, positive or negative, containing one or more decimals
• Complex number


  Written with a "j" as the imaginary part
• Boolean


  Represents one of two values: True or False
• Operators are used to perform operations on variables and values
• List


  A data structure that is ordered and changeable, allowing duplicate members
• List


  • First item has index value of 0
  • Giving a large index number can cause an "out of bounds error"
  • Validation checks can be added to block bad input and make the program robust
• List methods


  • Append
  • Insert
  • Print whole list
  • Print individual item
  • Edit elements
  • Delete elements
  • Remove elements
  • Sort
• Traversing a data structure

  Looking at every value in the data structure
• Program interface


  Handles input and output
• If-else structure


  A selection command with a header and a body
• Loop structure


  Also has a header and body, can be nested
• Types of loops


  • For loop (counter-controlled)
  • While loop (condition-controlled)
• Procedure/Function


  A type of module that can be defined and used in a program
• Modular programming


  Using procedures and other modules in your programming
• Built-in functions


  Python modules that have been written for you, e.g. input(), int(), print()

  
• Search term


  The item you look for when doing a search
• Search methods


  • Linear search
  • Binary search
• Return command


  A Python keyword that stops the procedure and returns to the main program
• Midpoint


  The middle position in a sorted list
• Passing a parameter


  Sending a copy of a data structure to a procedure
• Algorithm


  A plan to solve a problem, with actions in the right order
• Program


  A series of commands that tell the computer what to do
• Machine code


  The only language the computer can understand, made entirely of numbers
• Executable file


  A file made of machine code that the computer can carry out
• Source code


  A set of commands that a programmer writes in a programming language
• Compiling


  The process of turning a program into an executable file
• Interpreting


  The computer reads one command, translates and executes it, then moves to the next command
• Syntax errors


  Errors that occur when the rules of the programming language are broken
• Logical errors


  Errors where the logic of the program is wrong, so it does the wrong thing
• Python


  A popular programming language created by Guido van Rossum and released in 1991